Re: all the talk on how to save class racing....
 

Mark,

$700,000.00 in 2009 equates to

$132,229.48 in 1971.

I don't have any idea what that means, because I have no clue as to what the top cat at NHRA made that year (1971.)

Anybody????

Would that have been Wally? That was pre-Dallas Gardner, right?

If it was uncle Wally, there's no telling...

Re: all the talk on how to save class racing....
 

Another way to save the class racing we all love might be to support the local stock / ss combos some of the local drag strips and other start up groups are trying to organize. Why drive 200 miles , take off work 3 days, spend big money on a hotel room or an RV, and 170 dollars entry fees for little or no money when you could run down the street for 100 bucks and maybe a thousand to win. Encourage your local track or promoter to include a once a month or several times per year in their schedule. Promoters take heed. Instead of trying to re- invent stock / ss racing, try to organize, maybe a circut using several drag strips in your area, like the mannual sticks racers did, and the Goodguys with some of their classes. It always starts out small and then grows. Teching will always be a problem, even NHRA does not want to spend the money,and everyone is always bending the rules.

Re: all the talk on how to save class racing....
 

As many on here have said the biggest obstacle to newcomers is the money it takes to be competitive. Heres a fresh idea to make class racing less exclusive: Let racers who dont spend money on external hard core parts move down a class or two. I propose the following.

1) use of stock rims, dot slicks & old fashion traction bars (REWARD=MOVE DOWN ONE CLASS)

2) use of full exhaust system (REWARD=MOVE DOWN ONE CLASS)

3) use factory T-10, muncie, toploader trans (REWARD=MOVE DOWN ONE CLASS)

4) use street equipment, pwr steer, alt, factory water pump, pwr brake booster, wipers (REWARD=MOVE DOWN ONE CLASS)

This would really boost car counts and I would be the first guy in line to sign up because now I could compete with my Firebird in class L or M instead of H or i without having to spend a fortune. It would appeal to the stock appearing types too.

Re: all the talk on how to save class racing....
 

what's a guy running v/s gonna do?

Re: all the talk on how to save class racing....
 

I think the "Pinks all out" thing has really helped. No, its not class racing but its something to get the spectators and racers that otherwise dont race involved. The biggest thing that I here from young people, some who drag race/test and tune, and others who dont is the question "why do so many cars in a bracket race/index racing sand bag?" I feel that some kind of "heads up racing" is what the younger crowd is looking for. "package racing" could be the answer. I know heads up racing is tuff to work out do to all the diffferent cars and mods. But do what Pinks does. Pick a certain field or two or three fields.

Re: all the talk on how to save class racing....
 

Seems like this thread got a little off-base but...

Some of the reasons we don't see many drag racing magazines on the newsstands these days might have more to do with distribution rights and the fact that today there are so many niche magazines on the market. In the ye' old days, book stores, delicatessens, coffee shops, etc., had one rack with magazines on it. Today we have magazine racks that are as long as the motorhomes and trailers we tow with. It only stands to reason that sometimes a title can get lost in the crowd. Add in the Internet and it becomes a real job to combat. And then of course we have the titles that are no longer with us, such as Super Stock & Drag Illustrated. Titles which were owned by big corporations that sold more Sewing World (I'm kidding of course) than any other. Isn't money always the key? That's why we encourage people to subscribe and purchase the drag racing mags which are alive today.

And while on the subject of magazines alive today, I can tell you that everyone who works on our magazine, Drag Racing Action, has as much passion to produce the best magazine as any racer out there has for the sport. While we too are owned by a big corporation, as long as our ad and magazine sales stay strong (and they currently are); I'll stop at saying we're invincible; but we should be around for a while. Our goal when we started this magazine was to mimick the old Super Stock. While a lot of things have changed since then and we have to react to those changes, that goal is still in the back of our minds. Yes, we have pro car coverage. A photo of John Force (or any other pro) on the cover is there to sell newsstand copies. But our goal is to always gear the magazine toward the sportsman/bracket end of the sport. That's what our advertisers have told us, so that's what we do. More than anything else, our pro to sportsman coverage; and that includes tech; will always lean 2:1 in favor of sportsman.

I apologize, but this got a little longer than intended.

Re: all the talk on how to save class racing....
 

NOPW,
We did just what you are suggesting back in the 70's at tracks I owned and the Hallsville track. That was when Stock and SuperStock, Modified was in an evolution phase that was putting the little guy out. It kept the local spectator / racer interest up and helped attendance until Bracket racing took hold. (then the spectators left) Now we see the evolution to Index racing and it is bringing back some spectator apeal.
I've been working on a format to address todays needs.

Good to hear you long, short story John... :~)
A lot of racers are just focused on racing and forget about the business aspect that drives or is associated with our sport.

Re: all the talk on how to save class racing....
 

Adger:

Remember what I told you you should do a couple of years ago?

Have you been thinking about that? Hope you are coming up with

a few good ideas to improve upon hat suggestion.

S.E.

Re: all the talk on how to save class racing....
 

Like Mike says: Support your local tracks. Sometimes you can make more $ w/your stock/ss car by staying "closer to home" and going to a local track "special event" rather than hauling to that far-away, pricey National Event that specializes in poor sportsman class treatment, high entry fees, and miniscule payback....just 2 cents worth of mine....:D WJ

Re: all the talk on how to save class racing....
 

Well I dont think anyone would want to be out there in anything slower than V/S. Maybe they could get a weight reduction or something, or maybe its just tough luck. The details would have to be figured out by NHRA anyway. If you can penalize someone for running aluminum heads(horsepower hit) then it seems logical to reward the guy who keeps his car closer to stock and isnt that what we all want-more stock in stock eliminator. Maybe this could be a way to reverse the trend of more and more extreme parts, without having to start all over.This would not hurt anyone it would just draw new people in, I think lots of new people. Think of it as de-evolution.